VIDEO: Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer on his team being injured, but motivated for Alabama test

Beamer on talking to his team about the rare opportunity of getting to match up against No. 1.

Beamer on talking to his team about the rare opportunity of getting to match up against No. 1.

Can anyone at Virginia Tech become the next Ed Vereb, Scott Sisson, or Peter Boulware? That will be the prevailing question Saturday when the Hokies open their football season against No. 1 Alabama in the Georgia Dome.

Unless my eyes misread the agate, or the media guide errs, this will mark the 47th time in 61 seasons that an ACC team has encountered the Associated Press’ top-ranked outfit. The ACC’s record in such games is — ouch! — 3-43.

The conquerors were Maryland in 1955, Georgia Tech in 1990 and Florida State in 1996. The heroes were players such as Vereb, Sisson and Boulware.

* Maryland’s 1955 home opener against No. 1 UCLA attracted a then-Byrd Stadium record 46,000 fans — the Terps’ largest home crowd last season was 40,391 — and they were rewarded with a fierce defensive struggle in a steady rain.

With the game scoreless in the third quarter, Maryland coach Jim Tatum disdained a field goal attempt on fourth-and-a-foot from the Bruins’ 17.

Here’s how Sports Illustrated described it: “The play was classic split-T. [Quarterback Frank] Tamburello slid along the line of scrimmage to his right. He showed the ball tantalizingly to Bruin End Johnny Hermann, like a guide giving a tourist a flash of a French postcard. Hermann hesitated, then lunged. In that instant, Tamburello pitched the ball quickly out to the trailing halfback, Ed Vereb — and the UCLA Bruins had lost their first ball game since the 1954 Rose Bowl.”

The final was 7-0. Maryland finished the regular season 10-0 but lost the Orange Bowl to No. 3 Oklahoma 20-6.

* The first November meeting of ACC unbeatens transpired in 1990 when No. 16 and twice-tied Georgia Tech visited No. 1 Virginia. Here’s a link to my story — sorry, Cavaliers faithful — which doesn’t do justice to the brilliance that afternoon of Virginia’s Shawn Moore and Herman Moore, and Tech’s Shawn Jones.

The Yellow Jackets prevailed 41-38 on Sisson’s 37-yard field goal as time expired, later defeated Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl to complete an unbeaten season and shared the national championship with Colorado.

* Despite a 10-0 record and average victory margin of 30 points, Florida State entered its 1996 regular-season finale against Florida ranked No. 2 behind the Gators and Danny Wuerffel, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner.

Wuerffel threw for 362 yards and three scores, but the Seminoles intercepted him three times, in large measure because Boulware and his defensive mates pressured him throughout. Meanwhile, Warrick Dunn rushed for 185 yards as Florida State survived a late Gators score to win 24-21 (Chicago Tribune story here).

The teams’ Sugar Bowl rematch wasn’t nearly as close, with Wuerffel’s three touchdown passes leading the Gators to a 52-20 rout and their first national championship.

Here’s a team-by-team breakdown of the ACC against No. 1:

CLEMSON (0-4)

1958: LSU 7-0 in Sugar Bowl.

1993: at Florida State 57-0.

1995: Florida State 45-26.

1999: Florida State 17-14.

DUKE (0-8)

1958: LSU 50-18.

1966: at Notre Dame 64-0.

1970: at Ohio State 34-10.

1977: at Michigan 21-9.

1993: Florida State 45-7.

1995: Florida State 70-26.

1999: Florida State 51-23.

2010: Alabama 62-13.

FLORIDA STATE (1-5)

1996: Defeated Florida 24-21.

1998: Lost 23-16 to Tennessee in Fiesta Bowl.

2000: Lost to Oklahoma 13-2 in Orange Bowl.

2002: Lost at Miami 28-27.

2009: Lost to Florida 37-10.

2011: Lost to Oklahoma 23-13.

GEORGIA TECH (1-3)

1990: Won at Virginia 41-38.

1993: Lost at Florida State 51-0.

1995: Lost at Florida State 42-10.

1999: Lost at Florida State 41-35.

MARYLAND (1-3)

1955: Defeated UCLA 7-0.

1955: Lost to Oklahoma 20-6.

1993: Lost to Florida State 49-20.

1999: Lost at Florida State 49-10.

NORTH CAROLINA (0-6)

1953: Notre Dame 34-14.

1956: at Oklahoma 36-0.

1982: at Pittsburgh 7-6.

1987: at Oklahoma 28-0.

1993: Florida State 33-7.

1999: Florida State 42-10.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE (0-2)

1995: Florida State 77-17.

1999: at Florida State 42-11.

SOUTH CAROLINA (0-1)

1955: at Maryland 27-0.

VIRGINIA (0-4)

1958: at Army 20-12.

1968: at Purdue 44-7.

1993: at Florida State 40-14.

1999: Florida State 35-10.

VIRGINIA TECH (0-1)

2004: Southern California 24-13.

WAKE FOREST (0-6)

1955: at Maryland 28-7.

1976: at Michigan 31-0.

1990: Virginia 49-14.

1993: at Florida State 54-0.

1995: at Florida State 72-13.

1999: at Florida State 33-10.

Lot of blowouts in there. Can Virginia Tech avoid that fate Saturday?

I can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP

Virginia Tech is debuting beer and wine sales at home football games this season, but the availability is strictly limited, will not generate significant revenue and does not foreshadow alcohol at concession stands throughout Lane Stadium.

Earlier this week, Kendall Fuller said fellow Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Facyson was fully recovered from the leg injuries that sidelined him for most of last season. Head athletic trainer Mike Goforth confirmed the prognosis Friday.

Steve Addazio became Boston College’s football coach in 2013. He will face Virginia for the first time in 2017, Miami in 2018. His maiden road game versus the Hurricanes is scheduled for 2023, his inaugural home date with the Cavaliers in 2024.